Thinking about the Fermi Paradox

I recently stumbled across a blog post over at Wait But Why by Tim Urban that included a fascinating breakdown of the Fermi Paradox. I’d encourage anyone who’s interested in space travel and in the possibility of alien life to take a look. The article breaks down many of the arguments I’ve heard, and several that were new to me and is definitely worth the read. The question is one that I frequently ponder while thinking about our Solar System Jewelry and when considering new designs. What other solar systems might be represented in the local form of space jewelry right now?

Preparing to Showcase Space Jewelry at MileHiCon 49

It may seem early, but we’re hard at work preparing for MileHiCon 49. We’re super excited to be part of the convention, and we can’t wait to see all of our fans at the con. Jon and I have never attended MileHiCon before, so there’s a lot to learn. We love conventions, of course, and we’re frequent attendees of many in the area, but this will be an especially different con for us, not only because it’s our first time vending there, but also because it’s our first time vending after the birth of our son.

Featured Authors Lead to New Discoveries

I’m currently midway through the Red Rising series by Pierce Brown, and having a little one at home makes it difficult to steal away much time for reading. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a great dystopian series. The tragedy with a great series, however, is that they always end before I’m ready to let go of the characters and the story. One thing I love about cons is finding great new reading material. This year’s MileHiCon features Eric Flint and Jane Lindskold. Both are authors of multiple novels spanning different subjects, and both look right up my alley. Paired with the prospect of a loooong flight coming up in August, I’m excited for the lead on some new reading material.

“Share Shelf” Gaming

It’s no secret that we love board games, and we’re feeling a bit deprived lately. With our most frequent gaming friend overseas with the Peace Corps, we haven’t had the same strategy fix that we normally get. Conventions with gaming sections, however, always scratch that itch. While it’s hard to get in a true gaming experience while vending, cons do give us the opportunity to see and “taste test” new games in between showing off our solar system jewelry. Plus, they generally lead us down the path to a couple of new buys. Some of our favorites have been found this way, including Castles of Mad King Ludwig and Gloom. (Ok, maybe I’m the only one who likes Gloom, but damn it, it’s a great game! It’s the perfect mix of dark humor and back-stabby strategy.)

Battling Bots!

What more needs to be said? The Critter Crunch event features robots created by the participants battling it out. This is an event that we’ve not seen at other conventions, so we’re super excited to watch. We’ll probably be taking turns ducking out of the booth for this event, but there will always be someone around to visit with our fans, so no need to worry!

Considering Convenience for Gift Giving

Choosing a gift for a loved one can be a daunting task, especially when you’re looking for a unique and meaningful item. We find that our items are frequently presented as gifts to graduates, teachers, science lovers, and sci-fi fans, so it’s important to us that the packaging for our jewelry makes the recipient feel as special as the jewelry itself. We’ve seen floods of creative and inspired hand done gift wrap on sites like Pinterest, and as much as I love the idea of having every gift under my Christmas tree in matching layered wrap, it’s just not always practical at busy times. When it comes to birthdays and anniversaries, I’m frequently a last minute shopper, and often, gifts end up in whatever paper is left over from the last time I had to wrap something.

Quality Space and Solar System Jewelry

We take special pride in creating jewelry that’s well constructed and made of high quality materials. We firmly believe that our pieces will last you a lifetime, but all jewelry looks its best when properly cared for. These tips will help you care not only for the necklaces, bracelets, and earrings that we sell, but for any fashion jewelry in your collection.

Wearing Your Space Jewelry

One well known adage when it comes to fashion jewelry is, “Last On, First Off.” Our necklaces and bracelets are made with strong findings and quality construction techniques, and are thoroughly wear-tested before a design is approved. You should find no sharp corners or loose fittings. Even so, it’s always best practice with all jewelry to put it on after you’ve dressed and done your makeup, and to remove it before you start taking off clothes or washing. This prevents the jewelry from becoming snagged, tangled, or from coming into contact with makeup materials that may dull the look. Continue reading “How to Care for Your Space Jewelry”→

A Celebration of Exploration

In my opinion, space exploration is one of the single most important things that mankind continues to do. While some would argue that we need to solve our problems at home before gazing outward, it’s my firm belief that the amazing skills, knowledge, and problem solving ability required for space travel are the same skills that we need to solve our problems here. Journeying through space, whether it be manned missions to nearby moons and planets or unmanned data gathering missions, requires a tremendous amount of ingenuity and creativity. In thinking critically about the problems surrounding space travel, we find many solutions for puzzles facing us on earth as well. Because space exploration is so incredibly inspiring to me, I wanted a collection of rocket jewelry that could celebrate all that our intrepid explorers have accomplished.

Inspired by Astrophotography

I’ve always been a fan of astrophotography, and while I’m certainly no expert on the topic, I love seeing what I can capture through my scope. My little SCT isn’t quite up to the task of producing Hubble style images, though, and NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day is always a fantastic source of inspiration for me. More than anything, I love images of nebulae. From the spectacular Orion Nebula to the Omega Nebula, I always find myself awestruck with the amazing pictures that astronomers produce.

The Glittering Night Sky

From a very young age, I would spend the evenings sitting with my father on our back porch, looking up into the night sky. We’d run through stars and constellations, starting with the Big Dipper, running over to Polaris, and following well known trails to find and name the stars along the way. We were lucky enough to have nice dark skies with minimal light pollution in a small Kansas town, and looking up to the heavens with an experienced and passionate tour guide will forever remain amongst my best memories. I know that many other stargazers share similar experiences, and I wanted to create a deep space jewelry collection that would subtly speak to those quiet nights lying in grass or on a sleeping bag, knowing that the infinite heavens stretched above.

By Popular Demand: Solar System Charm Bracelet

When we first started Interplanetary Designs, the only Solar System design in the line was our necklace. That worked well when we were online and didn’t hear many comments, but our first chance to really talk with our customers came at StarFest 2016. By the end of the first evening, it was clear that our shoppers wanted a bracelet too! A couple of quick prototypes later, and we were able to offer the bracelets at that show. Since then, they’ve been a wonderful option either in addition to or worn separately from our other items.

Our Flagship Design

The Solar System Necklace is the cornerstone of Interplanetary Designs’ line. This is the product that started it all, and one that’s very dear to my heart. After a trip to the local planetarium, at the absolutely fantastic Denver Museum of Nature and Science, I was disappointed to see a lack of space themed accessories available for purchase. One of the great things about DNMS is their amazing ability to set up their exhibits in a way that really gets visitors excited about the subject, and as someone who’s always loved astronomy, I decided I had to have a solar system necklace. A quick glance online found a couple of options, but nothing quite matching the quality that I was looking for.